Metropolis
by Jas- El
Summary: Heres is my version of Smallville, without all the wait for Clark to become Superman. He will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind him, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join him in the sun. In time, he will help them accomplish wonders. He will be loved by them like none that has come before.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

They ran through the once pristine structure, each of them eyeing the cracks that began to form on the crystal like walls as the ground shook. Behind them, one of the crystals fell, shattering as it hit the floor, and the baby wailed as his mother wrapped him tighter in his many blankets to protect him.

The younger of the two blondes shot the child a concerned look and then turned to the greying older man who ran in front of them, leading them to what she hoped was safety. "Uncle?"

The man turned, and for a second he looked at her, and she saw that ever present twinkle in his aging face, his greying beard turned up in what she knew was smile to ease her worry's. He then turned back around, and shouted over his shoulder to be heard as another crystal fell. "I know, don't worry Kara, I had a contingency plan should I have been proven correct. Kelex!"

A portion of the wall opened in front of them, and out of it flew a small crystalline robot, Jor-El's first invention upon leaving the Academy of Science. The robot soured towards them, only to have to turn as it passed them. "Sir, you called." Even at a time such as they were facing, Kara still couldn't help but to smile at the sight of small robotic member of the El family.

Jor-El nodded, and had to stop short as a small fissure formed in the floor in front of him. "Kelex, I need you to activate the ships, quickly, time is of the essence."

Kelex nodded, his large head bobbing up and down as he took off again, heading for the lab at the end of the hallway. The crystal door raised before he got close, and lowered as he entered the room.

Around them more cracks were forming as the ground once again shook, and Jor-El knew that their time was quickly ruining out. His red robes flapped behind him as he leaped across the fissure, only to turn when he had made it across. Waving his arm he urged his niece to do the same, and watched as she too made the small leap to the same side as him. He turned to her and placed his hand to her shoulder. "Go Kara, do not wait for us, we will be behind you soon enough."

Kara looked like she wanted to argue for a moment, but the look on his face, the one that always seemed to ease her worries, had returned. It was the same look he had given her when he had taken her in after she had lost her parents with rest of the people of Kandor. She nodded before turning and running into the lab, only to stop at the sight of the two ships.

"Lara, we must hurry. We do not have long left." He said as he turned back to his wife as she landed beside him.

She nodded, a tear staining her cheek as she looked down at their son, and began to run her hand through his recently growing black hair. "Jor-El, what if they do not accept him, what if they don't love him?"

Jor-El shook his head, a small smile lighting his face, cupping her cheek he said. "He will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind him, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join him in the sun. In time, he will help them accomplish wonders. He will be loved by them like none that has come before."

"He will be alone." She nearly sobbed, and pulled her son closer to her chest.

"He will never be alone." Jor-El promised, his voice low and strong as he assured her. "I've made sure of that, and Kara will not allow it."

She nodded, and sniffed as she wiped another tear away that had begun to make its way down her cheek. "I know you have." They stood there for a moment, both knowing at any moment the planets time would come, but hey both found it difficult to move from each other. The sound of another crystal falling brought them back to the moment, and they quickly made their way into the lab.

Before them Kara leaned over the larger of the two ships, her brow furrowed, and a questioning look in her eyes. When she heard her aunt and uncle enter the lab she turned away from the ship. "Uncle, why does this ship only have room for one?"

Jor-El and Lara looked at each other, unsure of how to answer their niece's question, but that was the only answer she needed. "You're not coming, are you?" Kara asked, her voice breaking as tears began to form in her eyes.

Jor-El took his niece in his arms. "We cannot, nor should we. We have already lived our lives, you and Kal-El have yet to, your lives are more important than ours."

"Don't say that!" Kara cried, her tears staining her uncles robes.

"Live your life Kara, live it for us, and for your parents." Lara said, as she too embraced their niece.

Kara sniffed, and wiped at her eyes as she pulled away. "I'll take care of Kal-El, you can trust me on that Aunt Lara."

Lara smiled. "I know you will. You've always been so great with him, I could ask for no one better."

"You need to go Kara, and prepare yourself for the journey." Jor-El said quietly, and Kara nodded. She hugged them both tightly, tears streaming down her face, and then turned and entered her ship, an older one that had once belonged to her grandfather and aided him in his discoveries of Kryptons moons.

Quietly the two followed their niece to the smaller ship that sat beside her own, and placed their baby within the small crib like structure. "Our time is up Lara, if you have anything left to tell Kal-El , now is the time." Jor-El told his wife quietly, his eyes never leaving those of his sons.

Lara nodded, but found that it was suddenly hard to speak. "My dearest Kal-El, I only had the joy for knowing you a few weeks. I wish I could be with you always to guide you and protect you. Know that our love will always be with you. I can already see you carry within your father's independent spirit."

Jor-El chuckled as a lump began to form in his throat. "But, more importantly, your mother's never ending bravery and her compassionate heart."

"Your father tells me that the new world you are journeying to, Earth, is full of complicated beings capable of great emotion. My wish is for you to live a full and wonderful life, but I need you to know that you were born of a great love. And, your brilliant father has devised a way for you to carry on that love without us."

"The ship that I designed to carry you to your destiny can only hold one Kryptonian, one who has so much potential, so unlike your father." He said, as he thought of Zod's betrayal and his inability to neither stop him or save him, as well as his inability to convince the counsel of Kryptons coming doom.

Lara gasped, her eyes wide and she turned to her husband and took his hand. "No!"

Jor-El smiled at her, and waved her concern for him off. "Your mother and I cannot come with you, to do so would burden your innocent soul with our frailties and our failures. But you have within you, the best of both of us, and I am sending you with all of my knowledge and none of my ego or regrets. They will die with me here on Krypton. Whatever trials I put you through, I will never lose faith in you."

Her voice low, Lara whispered. "Quickly, before it's too late. We may not have been able to save our planet..."

Jor-El finished her thought as the crystals began to merge, sealing both ships for their journey. "But we are confident you will become Earth's greatest savior. And never doubt that, just as you're a part of us, we will always be a part of you. Farewell, my son."

Lara wept as they made their way to the console next to the ships and they activated their launches. They both watched as the two ships quietly took off, both seeking the comfort of the other as around them the lab finally began to collapse in full.

As both of the ships passed the atmosphere of the planet and had already begun to come upon the red sun the planet exploded, sending debris through space. Large chunks of the planet rocketed towards the two ships, one hitting the larger of the two, while the other remained just in front of the debris.

Within the small ship, the small Kal-El began to cry, but a second later, the voice of his father began to calm him, to soothe him.

_Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a beautiful day, everyone would always remember that when describing it, how everything had been so perfect. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky, the sun was shinning, and the Crows had won the homecoming game for the third year in a row. Jonathon smiled, as he shoved the last fence post into the back of his Ford truck, and with a sigh and a wipe of forehead he closed the tailgate.

He turned to see if Martha was done in the flower shop, and noticed that she was hunched over, talking to the small girl in the princess dress. He smiled, though it didn't reach he's eyes as it normally did and made his way inside. As he opened the door the girl asked his wife if she would like her to make a wish, which she agreed to. Waving her wand the child placed the tip to Martha's head and uttered "Abracadabra."

"She's gotten so big since the last time we saw her Neil." He commented as he came to stand at the counter.

The women turned from the arrangement that she was working on and smiled. "Jonathon, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping to get some Tulips, red ones if you have them." Martha said as she stood.

Neil's smile dropped the slightest bit. "Oh, Martha I didn't see you there. Are you sure you wouldn't want a Tiger Orchid?"

Jonathon came to stand beside his wife, and placed his arm around her. "No thanks, Martha has her heart set on Tulips."

Neil nodded, and walked off. "Of course, they are a very uncomplicated flower." She returned a moment later and they paid for their purchase. Martha waved goodbye to Lana, while Jonathon grabbed the two bags of seeds and followed her.

Martha jumped into the passenger seat as Jonathon put the seeds into the bed of the truck. As he entered the cab Martha was leaning against the window, and he leaned towards her. "I know what you wished for."

She smiled. "To see a little face, its all I ever wanted." She said with a shrug. Jonathon nodded and pulled her towards him, and kissed her lightly. The sound of someone honking distracted them, and they pulled apart.

Jonathon smiled, and turned to watch as cars drove by, those inside them shouting and waving flags. "Looks like Smallville won again." He said as he pulled onto the road.

They were just passing the 'Welcome to Smallville' sign when suddenly a meteor hit, destroying the sign and causing the rows of corn stalks to catch fire.

Martha whipped around, and for a moment Jonathon swerved. "What's happening Jonathon?!"

He turned to look at her, and was about to answer her when a meteor stroke the rode in front of them, creating a huge crater. Jonathon slammed his foot on the break, trying all he could before they drove into the crater, but he couldn't and they went right into it, the truck flipping as it went down.

Their seatbelts were the only thing that kept them from hitting their head on the roof of the cab. Jonathon shook his head, and began to blink as he tried to clear his head. turning his head to the side, he could see tiny feet making their way towards them, and before he could say a thing, a small boy knelt to look into the truck. "Matha?"

Once they had been able to free themselves, they took the boy, and followed the destruction that had been caused. "Kids don't just fall out the sky, Martha."

"Then where did he come from?" She asked as she pulled the boy closer to her.

"I don't know." Jonathon said as they began to walk up a slight hill that had been created. "But he must have parents." They both stopped short as they found the crystal like ship. It was covered in dirt, but there wasn't single crack or scratch on it.

"Well if does, they're definitely not from Kansas." Martha said as she looked from the ship, to her husband, and back to the ship.

Jonathon looked to the sky, not sure what to make of the situation, then turn his attention his wife. She was smiling, the smile wider than it had been in a while, and he knew what she was thinking. "Sweetheart, we can't keep him. What are we gonna tell people? We found him out in a field?"

"We didn't find him." She said, looking at the boy. She then turned to her husband, and said. "He found us."

* * *

It really was hard to believe that sixteen years ago he had arrived, welcomed by two people that had given them their hearts. They taught him what it meant to be human, what it meant to be a good man, what it meant to work hard for the things that you earned. The lessons that they had bestowed upon him were important, but so was their aide.

He doubted that he could have made it so long without them, without their help in understanding and controlling his ever growing and developing abilities, abilities that made him different than everyone else.

But even with that difference, here he stood, at the podium, the valedictorian of his graduating class. He smiled and shook his principles hand before he turned to his class. Everyone began to applaud, and somewhere towards the back of the mass parents and friends, he could hear someone snort and say "God, I hope he didn't forget his speech."

He narrowed his eyes, the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He took a sharp breath, and began. "First I would like to start by saying thank you to all the parents, teachers, administration and faculty of Smallville High School. I would like to give a special thanks principle Reynolds, who has never once tried deter us from reaching for the stars. Its because of your support and encouragement, we are all here today celebrating this special day together."

He went on, talking about being able to work on the school's paper, something that should have made writing his speech easier, but didn't, as well as being able to be a part of the team that won the championship.

He talked about how it was hard to believe that for twelve years they had gone to school and played together. That they would soon be going their own ways, find their own places in life, where they belonged.

The speech went on for another five minutes before finally came to an end with "Congratulations to the class of 2005, we did it, we've finally finished one of many trials in our lives. Now it's time we start another one."

Everyone stood and applauded as he shook his principle hand once more, and then went to take his seat. For twenty five more minutes he sat and waited for his turn to come, and when it did he blocked out all the noise, and concentrated on the voices of his parents as they congratulated him, and cheered him on. But again, the voice broke through, and he could hear the women say. "God I hope he doesn't trip."

He turned, trying to locate the source of the voice, and he saw her. It was a blonde woman, sitting next to Chloe's father. He remembered Chloe saying that her cousin was thinking of coming, but she wasn't sure if she would make it, he wished she hadn't.

The guy behind him suddenly poked him and pointed forward. Clark turned, and saw that his principle was calling and waving him forward, and sheepishly he went on. For the third time that day he shook the man's hand, along with the teachers that stood beside him, and took his diploma. Raising it above his head, he smiled and then walked off the stage and back to his seat.

* * *

"Are you sure son?" Jonathon asked as they sat around the kitchens island table, each with a slice of apple pie in front of them.

Clark nodded as he took a bite. He waited to take a sip of his glass of tea before answering his fathers question. "I am. It's something that I want to do, that I feel like I have to do."

His parent nodded, both looking at him as if they understood his reason. "How long will you be gone?" His mother asked.

He shrugged, unsure of the answer himself. "I don't know. There's so much that I don't know about myself, like where do I come from, why was I sent here, and why do those rocks hurt me. For some reason, I just feel like if I do this, I'll be able to find all the answers that I'm looking for."

"You deserve to know Clark. Just make sure that you stay in touch, or you'll cause you're mother to worry." Jonathon said, and laughed as Martha hit him with a dish towel.

Clark nodded, his mood solemn. "You know I will dad." He was silent for a moment as he stared at the picture on the wall, the one of his father in his old Air Force uniform. "Was it hard, when you left?"

Jonathon nodded, his own eyes looking at the picture. "It was, made my father upset when I did. I wanted to see the world, know what was out there, and do what I could. I loved the travel, loved the places, and the opportunity to do some good, its was amazing. There was no other feeling like it. It made me appreciate things better, the things I saw, it made me understand what I had here, and I appreciated it more. It made me see where my place was."

"As much as I want you to stay, your place is out there, in the world doing what you can to make it better. You just have to find and decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be, Clark. Whoever that man is, he's going to change the world. Your mother and I are sure of it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been little more than a month since he had left his home, left everything he knew behind in search of answers. He knew that had he used his powers, had he run, he could have made it within hours instead of weeks. But he had wanted to see the different places he passed through, he'd wanted to take his time.

He wasn't sure how, but there was always a voice in the back of his mind, directing him, leading him to this exact spot. To the Arctic Circle, to the middle of nowhere.

He dropped his bag from his shoulder to the ground, and turned, looking for a sign of why he was there. All around him, everywhere he looked all he could see was white, snow covered mountains surrounded him on all sides, and not a single life could be seen, the area too frigid to sustain anything. He was alone.

Suddenly, the crystal in his pocket began to grow hot and he thrust his hand in it, trying to extract the object before it could burn him. The usual light blue crystal was now turning a dark shade of sapphire, and from within a voice spoke.

"_Release me Kal-El." _ The voice spoke, and Clark realized it was the same that he had been hearing for the last month. The same voice that had guided him to where he now stood.

"Who, what are you?" he asked, unsure of how to react.

The crystal flared and grew ever hotter in his hand. "Your people referred to me as the Eradicator, your father regarded me his friend, and I him my savior. I am the last remaining knowledge of a once great civilization, and you are its hope, its salvation."

Unsure of how to process what was just said, by a crystal no less, Clark could only ask. "Who's Kal-El? My name's Clark Kent."

The crystal flared again, and he had to hold on tighter as it attempted to leave his hand. "You are Kal-El, son of Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, the last son of Krypton. You shall now cease with your useless questions and you will now obey me Kal-El. Release me, and begin your destiny."

Again the crystal attempted to leave his hand, but this time Clark allowed it, and watched as it shot forward, spinning end over end as it flew off into the distance. Finally it seemed to stop and hover as it continued to flip, and then suddenly it plunged into the ground. For a moment everything was still, and then the ground began to shake, and Clark watched amazed as giant crystal began to shoot out from the ground.

The crystals crisscrossed each other as they began to form a structure, and behind the first structure, another, larger one was forming, this one shooting up towards the sky. The ground split, a small water fall of ice and melted snow began to flow.

Clark stood there, in awe of the process that was taking shape in front of him. It was hard to believe that that one, small crystal could do all of this, create this giant structure. And all within the span of a minute.

This time, the voice was louder as it called him, and it echoed across the snow laden landscape. "Welcome home, Kal-El."

Clark nodded, and bent to grab his bag before he began to trudge through the snow once again, his mind running a mile a minute with thoughts, trying to come up with an answer for what had just happened. As he got closer to the structure, it grew larger, and he had to strain his neck just so that he could see to the top, and even then it was difficult.

Before him, a wall of crystal stood, and on the crystal there stood a large S that rested inside of a pentagon. It was the same symbol from the top of the crystal, and again he questioned its meaning. As he neared the wall, it rose, and Clark realized that it had been a large door.

As he entered the structure, he noticed how bright it was, the sun creating a natural light source as it bounced off and through the crystals. The hall from the entrance to the center was rather shirt, but wide, and at the end of it, he could see a raised podium, and on the podium rested a console of some sort, housing a number of crystals similar to the one that created the structure.

Upon stepping upon the podium and up to the console, Clark could fully take in the size of the entire place. It was almost three times as big on the inside as it was on the out. Below him the structure broke off into different caverns and halls, each one close off by a door with the same symbol that he had seen on the door leading to the outside.

As he stood there, a crystal began to rise, and then dropped into his hand. Another slot, began to glow, almost directing him on where to place the crystal, and he did so, dropping it into the slot. Almost immediately, a light shot down from the top of the structure, hitting a spot on the ground behind him, and he turned, only to see another man standing there.

He was old, his hair dark but greying, his beard greying as well. He wore a red robe over a blue shirt and pants, as well as having a red sash around his middle. His chest was covered with a hard plate of what looked like steel or something, and in the middle of it rested the same S inside of the Pentagon.

The man, smiled upon setting his eyes on him, and they twinkled blue. "Kal-El, my son, welcome home."

Clark turned fully to him, his brain, again, going blank with the new revelation. "I'm your son?"

The man nodded, then frowned. "No, you are the son of Jor-El. I am your fathers memory, his will. I am to fulfill his promise, and aide you for the rest of the days of your life."

"The voice in the crystal spoke of my destiny, but I don't even know who I am, or what I am." Clark said as he walked down from the podium and towards the man.

The man frowned, and then turned, beckoning Clark to follow him. He was led down a series of what appeared to be steps, and before them, another crystal began to form in the center of the room, and it resembled a bench. Jor-El, beckoned for him to take a sit, and he followed suit.

"You are kryptonian, Kal-El, the last of proud race." The image of Jor-El said, his eyes downcast.

"If I'm from another planet, then why am I here, and not there, with you?" Clark asked, turning to look at his father's image.

"The reason you are here, on Earth is that Krypton is no more. Our planet died, its core too unstable to continue to sustain our lives. Your mother and I, in order to protect you, and save you from sharing our fate, sent you here."

Clark nodded, and a lump began to form in his throat, and a single tear began to fall from his eye. "And my destiny, what is it that I am supposed to do?"

Jor-El sighed, and raised his hand to watch as the rays of the sun streaming in from the top of the structure washed over it. "On this planet, its yellow sun will give you abilities that no one other than yourself will possess. This power can make you the greatest hero and asset the planet will ever know, as the Nightwing and Flamebird were to Krypton. Or you can become like Zod, and be known as its greatest threat and enemy. Only you can know, my son, where your calling is, and what it is that you wish to do and accomplish."

Clark nodded, already knowing that while he didn't know a thing about the Zod that his father spoke of, he would never be like him. His parents had instilled with in him the thought that those that have the power to help need to do what they can to help, that when the moment comes that your called to action, you ask yourself if you're going to sit by and watch as evil takes over, or if you will stand up to it and face it head on, no matter the price. And he knew that he would, could never stand by and watch as some one did evil onto someone else.

"Can you tell me about the Nightwing and Flamebird father?" Clark asked.

Jor-El smiled, the smile reaching his eyes, and nodded. "Of course, my son."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

He'd been training in the Fortress for two and half years before the hologram of his father had instructed him to go out into the world, to learn what he could of the different people that inhabited the planet. It was so that he could better understand those that he would one day protect, it to prepare him, in some ways more so than the training he went through with the memory of his father.

He'd been all over the world, to countries large and small, to countries that were considered first, second and third world. He learned the customs of every nation that he visited, learned how the people lived, and he learned the troubles that they faced. He'd met men and women that had committed such evils, that sometimes he wondered if the good he believed was in the heart of everyone was truly there. And he met others, others that would solidify that belief that would strengthen it to the point that he would no longer question whether that goodness was present, but what could be done to bring it out in everybody.

He had made friends, friends that he was sure he would know for a lifetime. There were people that were trying to help, trying to do what they could to make their homes a better place for the next generation. But there were others that didn't want that, that were greedy, and wanted the power for themselves. And he would lose his friends, he would do everything in his power to prevent it, but in the end, nothing ever seemed to be enough at times. And he mourned their loss, wearing it as plain as day as the clothes that adorned his body.

The training that he had been undergoing with in the Fortress was however paying off. He'd used his newfound control over his powers to do good. He'd saved a number of people wherever he went, and had become some sort of urban legend everywhere he ventured, a blur to the vision of those that attempted see him.

He'd held back the waves and winds of a hurricane as it had hurtled for the gulf of Mexico. It was then, while he had found himself busy as he floated over the waters, that he had been sure that he had seen a figure garbed in orange armor pulling the men of a shrimping boat to safety.

While he traveled he wrote a number of articles on the things that he had seen, the men and women that he had met, and he would post them to the blog of a friend. It surprised him when his parents had told him that Chloe had quit her job at the planet and started a news blog, that she had offered to post anything that he had written if he wanted. He'd seen the opportunity for what it was, a way to spread the truth of what was happening in the world, and he took it. According to his parents, and Chloe, he had garnered some kind of fallowing.

It wasn't until his super hearing had become a hindrance that he had sought the help of another. His parents had once taught him that he had to focus on something, to block everything out and make the world small. But, the older that he got the stronger his powers became, and the louder the voices became. If he was going to be able to live a life, normal or otherwise, he would have to find some way of dealing with the constant barrage of noise before it could consume him.

He'd traveled to India, in search of what, he didn't know, but Jor-El had told him that he would know it when he found it. And he had, when he had entered the market of the city that he was in he'd seen men sitting, and lying on beds of needles; and not one of them seemed to be affected by the pain that should have been present. When he'd asked a man, American by the looks of him, how they were doing it he had said through mediation.

He'd then asked the man if he knew of someone that could teach himself how to mediate, and the man stared at him for what seemed like forever, almost as if he was sizing him up. His stare was hard, not something that he had expected with the tone he had been speaking to him with. It was as if a great pain weighed down on him, and he held it at bay behind his eyes.

He then nodded and led him out of the towns square, and then out of the town itself, until they came upon a small hut. A woman, whom he later learned was named Cassandra, was standing outside the hut, removing sashes from a line. When he had asked if she could teach him to calm himself, to block out everything, she had agreed, and he had become her student.

He lived with her and the man that called himself Adam, though something told him it was not the mans real name, for months. When they were not training, they worked in the town, selling the produce that Cassandra grew, but she never accompanied them.

After his first month, Clark learned that Adam had lost his parents to a gunman when he was only a child, and he related the death of his own parents, omitting the way in which they had died, and allowing Adam to come up with a story of his own.

Even though they were both keeping secrets from the other, and from Cassandra, they both felt as if they could trust the other, and soon they had become something that they had not expected, friends. Something told Clark that Adam didn't have many, if any, and took great pride in the fact that he had earned the title.

Then, one night three months after he had arrived, cries began to be heard off in the distance, and then flames could be seen rising over the trees. Clark and Adam had both dropped their tools as they worked in the garden and ran in the direction of the noise, only to find that the village near by was under attack.

Clark hadn't wanted to unveil his powers, especially not in front of so many people, but the sound of a little girls scream had made the decision for him. One moment he was standing next to Adam, the next the girl was in his arms, her attacker unconscious on the dirt at his feet.

He turned, and his eyes hardened as he began to float over the destruction that was being done to the village. He turned, the girl still protectively held in his arms, and released a stream of cold air out of his lungs and onto the fires, effectively putting them out before more damage could be done. From his vantage point, he could see Adam as he fought off men with guns, as if all they held were twigs. The man did not seem to fear his own death, and that worried Clark.

"Adam, stop, you've won." Clark said as he landed behind his friend.

Adam shook his head, and turned from Clark, before stomping on the arm of the man that he was fighting, effectively breaking it. He bent down, and in an eerily, calm voice asked. "Who sent you?"

"Her lady…" the man wheezed out through the pain.

"Her lady who?" Adam asked as he placed his foot on the mans hand once again.

"Adam, he's had enough." Clark said, as he put his hand on the mans shoulder.

Adam ignored him, and applied pressure to the arm. "Her lady Shiva. She sent us…"

"Why?!" Adam growled, as he bent to be level with the man.

"F-for you." The man said, before he passed out.

Adam rose, and he began to walk off leaving Clark standing there as he stared at the man. He then put the girl down, and watched as she ran to her parents before he took off after his friend.

"Adam, stop!" Clark shouted, and to his surprise, he did.

"I'm responsible for what happened in the village tonight Kal. Shiva wont stop until she has me." Adam said, his voice hard and angry, and his eyes were full of hate.

"Why?" Clark asked.

"She trained me, and when she wanted me to follow her, I refused. Her master, I'm told, doesn't take well to that."

Clark nodded, and watched Adam attempted to calm himself, and while he began to appear calm on the outside, Clark knew that on the inside his anger was eating him alive. "I'd offer to help you, but something tells me you wouldn't want it."

"I don't need it."

Clark nodded, unsure of how to proceed, but he didn't have to. Adam had begun to walk off, but had stopped, and turned to look back at him. "Something tells me we'll be seeing each other again someday." With that said, he walked off, and disappeared into the trees.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He streaked through the sky and watched as the scenery changed below him as he flew through the clouds, and out of sight. After seven years, his training was over, Jor-El, having finally declared that he had nothing else to teach him had told him to return to his home of Smallville, and decide what it was that he wanted to do with his future. How he wanted to put his training, his newfound knowledge, and his abilities to use.

Though, he knew already. He knew that he wanted to help people. He had to help people, it was who he was. He wasn't the type of person that just sit on the sidelines and watch as someone was being hurt, not when there was something that could be done about it. It wasn't how he was raised.

He smiled as he first saw the fields of farmland, and then, then his childhood home came into view. With his enhanced vision he could see his mother tending to her garden. He could see his father once again working on the old tractor in the barn, his back bent over as he attempted to tighten the ever stubborn screw.

He stopped and hovered over the farm, and began to turn, looking to see if there was anyone within seeing distance of the farm. When he was sure that there was nobody but his parents that would see him and began to descend, lowering himself until he didn't need his powers to see his mother stand as Shelby began to bark.

His feet touched down just as she called out to his father, and he laughed as she ran to him, embracing him in a tight hug. "You're looking too skinny Clark. Have you been eating?"

Clark laughed and hugged her back, feeling elated and at ease to be home and in her arms. "I'm eating mom. You don't need to worry about that."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she pulled back. She eyed him for a moment, and then nodded. "Come on in, the apple pie I was making should be done by now. I need to put some meat back on those bones."

A laugh behind him made him turn and his smile widened even further than it had been. "Don't make her tell you twice Clark, you know how your mother is."

Clark nodded, and embraced his father as well. "Yeah, I know Dad."

He followed his parents into the house, and sat at the kitchens island table and watched as mother pulled the pie out of the oven cut the three of them each a slice. His eyes closed, and he let out a pleased sigh as he took his first bite, causing both of his parents to laugh.

"No one makes apple pie like you Mom." He said as he took another bite.

"Well, at least I know you always have a reason to come back home." Martha said with a laugh. "So, what did you find out? How was it?"

Clark set down his fork, and used the napkin next to his plate to wipe his moth clean. "I found out who I am. Who my parents are."

"And who's that son?" Jonathon asked as he leaned forward in his seat.

Clark smiled. "I think it might be easier to show you."

Clark watched, smile covering his face as his parents walked through the Fortress, their eyes wide with looks of amazement covering their faces.

The fortress didn't look like much at the moment, it was still pretty barren, but not as much as it had been when he had first created it. It had taken some time, but he had talked the Eradicator into teaching him how to manipulating the structures within it to change. After that, he had created a number of rooms to go along with the replica of his fathers science lab. He was currently showing them around his Trophy Room and Museum.

Jonathon and Martha stopped short as they entered the room and saw the two large statues of the man and women. Martha turned to Clark, and he nodded. "You look just like them Clark."

He nodded, both accepting the compliment, and for the first time, thinking that he did share a number of similarities with his father, and some with his mother.

Below the statues of Jor-El and Lara holding up the planet Krypton, he had built another, this one a scene that he had been told of. It was of Jonathon and Martha, finding himself as a baby. It was smaller, but he had meant it mimicked what it was about him, that made him who he was. While his powers, the same one that came from his parents, were considered godly by those he had met, it was his humanity, that the Kents had given him. It was rarely seen, rarely appreciated when you could only see the power, but it was always there.

"Clark, who's this?" Jonathon asked from across the room, and Clark turned to see what his father was asking about. The bright light in his eyes immediately vanished, and his eyes began to mist over with the memory.

"That's Kobe Asuru. He was an activist, trying to make a better life for his people. He taught me that when we lose our pride, we lose ourselves. That its not only our custom, or music, or dance, or the way you speak, or act, or even the clothes you wear, everything defines a person, a people. His people, they would hand down their colors and their style of clothes through the generations, that what they where is to connect them to, symbolize, and remind them of their heritage. He was a good man, and a good friend."

Jonathon noted the past tense, and began to look at the statue in a new light. "What happened to him?"

"A politician was scared of him, scared of the change that Kobe talked about, was bringing about. He had him assassinated because Kobe was fighting for a change, for a better tomorrow for the next generation of his tribe. I tried to save him, but I was too late."

Jonathon and Martha were silent for a moment, both unsure of what to say, how to comfort their son. Finally Jonathon put a hand on Clark shoulder and said. "He sounds like he was a good man."

Clark nodded, and his eyes misted slightly. "The best, he was… inspirational."

"Clark, what are saying?" Jonathon asked, though he had some idea.

Clark turned, and his gaze went to the statues of his parents, both sets of them. "Mom, dad. You always taught me to do right by people, to use my gifts for good and help people if I could. That was the greatest gift you could have given me.

I feel like, like I've finally found my purpose. When I wasn't here, when I was traveling, I saw so much, and did so much. There's so much suffering in the world, and I if I can do something about it, If I can help to make a difference, to make people's lives better, I have an obligation to do so."

He turned back to look at them. "I almost killed the man that killed Kobe. I wanted to, but I couldn't, I can't become the judge, jury and executioner just because I have all this power. There has to be a line, and I can't cross it."

His parents nodded, both understanding what he was saying. His mother smiled, and looked up at the statue of Jor-El. "Well, if you're going to go through with this, you're going to need a suit."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It took him far longer to reach his destination than he had thought it would, but he didn't really care, it had given him the chance to think. He'd been to a number of cities, and each one he had tried to find a place that he could easily fit into, a place that he could do what he needed to do. But none of them had felt right. But there was something about Metropolis that felt right, he felt as if he could make it work here. Perhaps the best place to start was the place they called the City of Tomorrow.

He could have taken a cab, or the bus, but he'd wanted to walk, he wanted to get to know the city on a more personal level. He was sure, that had he not been walking he wouldn't have been able to see the sites that Metropolis offered.

He stopped a moment, and looked up. The buildings were so tall here; it was as if they were all fighting each other to reach the clouds first. One seemed as if it could, and his eyes narrowed, and an almost sad look entered them when he saw the logo on the side.

Before he could give it anymore thought someone bumped into him and he turned, looking for the person. It was an old women and she seemed to be reaching for the purse that he had caused her to drop. Smiling sheepishly he bent to pick it up.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss." He said.

"What are you doing?!" She cried.

He turned to her, and smiled as he reached out for the handle of the bag. "Helping you to pick up your…"

"Give me that!" She screamed as she snatched the bag from his hands.

Surprised, Clark pushed his glasses back up and began to apologize. "I guess I need to watch where I'm going." He raised his hand to indicate the city. "But this city! I just can't imagine what it took to actually create all these amazing buildings. I was just looking up and…"

"Looking up?" She asked, surprised and disgusted.

Clark nodded, his smile growing sure that she understood.

She eyed him for a moment. "You're not from around here are you?"

Clark shook his head. "No, I'm not. I just moved here actually." He reached out his hand. "My names Clark, Clark Kent. It's nice to met you Miss?"

The woman pulled back, and looked disgusted at his hand. "Of course you're not from around here, you clumsy oaf. No one in Metropolis have better things to do then stare at the sky."

Clark stared after her as she left, surprised that she had acted as she had. He was soon knocked again as two teenagers ran past him in the direction of the tall building, and perplexed what they were in such a hurry for he followed them.

A large crowed was forming outside a series of gates, and each and every person were either staring at their watches, or the platform that stood above the door to the building.

He turned, looking for someone that he could ask if they knew what was happening, and soon found a police officer standing nearby. He quickly made his way to the man, and began to wave his hand back and forth. "Uh, officer, uh, is there trouble?"

The man turned to him and shook his head. He nodded towards the building. "Nah. It's just the same thing that happens every morning. "

Clark nodded, but still didn't understand. "And what's that?"

The officer laughed. "You're not from around here, are you buddy?" Clark shook his head. "You should probably remember to avoid Luthor Ave. next time you're here."

"As in Lex Luthor?" Clark asked, and turned to the building again.

The man laughed again. "Do you know any other Luthors?"

Clark looked back to the crowed as he felt someone shove him. "Um, why the crowd? What's going on?"

"You a reporter or something with all the questions? Huh, they all have a wish they want Luthor to grant. They slam against the gates like animals at the zoo every morning, each one hoping to be the lucky bastard Luthor picks to help out. Hell, to tell you the truth if I wasn't on duty right now, I'd be doing the same." Quieter he said. "Always did want to open an English Pub."

"It gets like this from dawn until Mr. Luthor walks out at ten sharp. Which should be any minute now."

Clark's eyes widened and he looked down at his watch. "Any minute now. I was supposed to be at the Planet at ten for an interview."

The officer eyed him. "Sorry to hear that pal, there's no way you'll make it in time with everyone here in your way."

Clark turned and began to run, attempting to not bump into anyone else again, but as he did so he thanked the officer for the information, and wished him luck on his dream. Normally he wouldn't have a problem running the few blocks from the LexCorp building to that of the Planet, but he couldn't use his powers. It was due to this that he was a few minutes late.

From what he had heard he had expected to see that the building that housed the once famous paper to be clean and made of marble. Instead the building was covered in graffiti and trash, and looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in days, perhaps even weeks.

"Well Clark, its now or never." He said to himself as he tightened his tie and pushed his glasses up again. He gripped his briefcase, a present from his parents, tighter and then walked through the revolving glass doors.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He expected the newsroom of the Daily Planet to be chaotic, but he hadn't expected it to be like this. Men and women were running around between their desks and printers, some were standing underneath one of the many television sets, some were even on their phones. He stood there for a moment, the elevator door closing behind him and took it all in.

Slowly a small smile began to take over his features. He loved it here, the atmosphere, the electricity that was in the air was just amazing. The feeling of doing something important, of informing the world of what was really happening was almost contagious. He closed his eyes to take in the feeling, and then he was hit in the head by something hard.

He blinked, surprised that he hadn't heard it, or knew that it was coming before it happened, then looked down to find a football at his feet. He bent to pick it up then turned to see where it had come from. A red headed man with a mustache clapped his hands to get his attention then called from across the bullpen. "Hey, four eyes toss it back."

"Lombard, stop throwing that in the bullpen!" A black man said as he popped up from behind his own desk to glare at the man.

Lombard returned the glare and responded. "Just because you're a wimp and want to see everything sports related out of schools doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do Troupe!" He then turned to look at Clark and smirked. "Ain't that right four eyes. Now you gonna throw me the ball or are you just going to stand there?"

Clark looked from the ball, then back to the man named Lombard then back to the ball again. He knew that he shouldn't, knew that he couldn't throw it like he always had. He had to make it look like he was un-coordinated, like he didn't know what he was doing. With a sigh, he slightly loosened his grip on the ball then began to lob it. But before he could even begin to make the throw the ball was yanked from his grasp and was hurtling across the room and into Lombards stomach. He gasped as he bent over grasping his sternum and wheezed out a small "Thanks Lois."

"First ones free." Lois said as she patted his chest on her way to her desk.

"Uh?" Clark looked around unsure of what had just happened. Then he suddenly remembered why he was there and groaned. He was more than likely late now. "Um, excuse me, I'm, uh, looking for Mr. White. I have an interview"

People seemed to either be ignoring him or they hadn't heard as they quickly walked past him. He tried again, this time sticking his hand out a little. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Perry White. I'm supposed to have an interview with him."

The elevator doors opened once again behind him, and he turned to get out of the way. Someone walked off, though he couldn't see the mans face as it was hidden behind boxes of donuts and coffee. "Um, you wouldn't happen to need any help would you?"

The man poked his head around the boxes and grinned, his red hair bobbing slightly with the action. "Yes, please."

Clark took four of the boxes and began to introduce himself, but the other man beat him to it. "Names Jimmy, Jimmy Olsen."

"Clark Kent." Clark said and began to raise his hand to shake Jimmy's, but then thought better of it. He eyed the numbers of coffee cups in the top box he was carrying and frowned. "Shouldn't you have your own coffee? You shouldn't have to get it from someplace else."

Jimmy laughed. "We used to, then it cost too much to keep it running all the time. So now I have to go three blocks down the street to get all this."

Clark frowned. "Wouldn't that cost more rather than making your own?"

Jimmy shrugged. "It probably would, yeah. But everyone pitches in to get it. Especially Ms. Lane, and trust me CK, I'd rather walk across town to get her coffee then see her without it."

Clark was about to ask if she was really that bad but a voice suddenly yelled across the bullpen grabbing his attention. "Where's Kent. He's five minutes late!"

Clark turned to give Jimmy an apologetic smile as he handed the boxes back over than began to hurriedly make his way to Perry White. As he did he bumped into two people, causing one of them to drop their papers. He dropped to begin to pick them up but again Perry's voice stopped him. "Leave it, they can get it. You Kent?"

"Yes sir." Clark said as he reached to shake the mans hand. He did, but only for a second before indicating that he should follow him back into his office. Perry took a seat behind his desk and looked up and frowned when he noticed that Clark was staring around at his office, eyeing the signed guitar that rested in his book case. "Kent, you can take a seat."

Clark looked sheepish, but nodded and took the offered seat. "If I can ask Mr. White, is that really Elvis' guitar."

Perry nodded and Clark could see a hint of a smirk as he looked at the guitar for a moment. "Gift from a friend when I won my first Pulitzer." He turned back to his desk and began to rifle through the many papers that littered the top of it.

Clark nervously fidgeted in his seat and eyed his shoes as he waited for Perry to find what he was looking for. Perry looked up at him and sighed before taking his cigar out of his mouth. "You can't be real."

Clark picked his head up, unsure of what he meant and asked. "Um, what do you mean sir?"

Perry stood and pointed at him, his cigar held between his fingers. "C'mon Kent. You've done nothing but fidget and stare at your shoes ever since you sat down. No one's shoes are that interesting!"

He bent across his desk, and his eyes narrowed as he stared Clark down. "How the hell did someone like you ever get an interview with Qerizan terroists? Or Chief Justice Benton. Why aren't you back on your farm manning the fields, or working as a bank teller? Why do you want to work here?"

Clark gulped. "I… well…"

"Spit it out Kent!" Perry barked.

Clark closed his eyes and took a breath, giving himself a moment to come up with an answer. "I want to work for the Planet Mr. White because it's the fastest, most reliable news service in the world. Whenever there's a story the Planet's the first to get it, and has it online and printed and on the streets while the New York Times is still looking for sources. Your staff is that good.

Back home, the Planet was the only paper that they bothered even selling. I grew up with this paper; it's the only paper I could really see myself working at. "

Perry looked stunned, but then smirked. "You got anything else you want to say?"

He could almost beat himself over the head. He shouldn't have said what he did, he could easily give himself away. "Uh, no sir. That's all."

Perry nodded. "There's no need to kiss my ass Kent. You've already got the job. Though to be honest, the newspaper industry is dying, the shape this building's in is proof of that. What we really need is a big story, a 'Moses talks to God' big kind of story!"

Clark nodded, the action forcing him to push his glasses back into place. "I see sir."

"Luthor's been trying to strong arm us for years. When he couldn't take us down from the inside he dropped us like a bag of bricks and has been trying to take us down from the outside. And as much as I hate to say it he's succeeding. We're drifting, but I'm not going to let some bald rich boy take this paper down without a fight!" Perry growled.

Clark's eyes widened at the mention of Lex, but before he could voice his question the door banged open. "If that's the case Chief then why the hell did you pull me from the story on his royal Eggheadness?!"

Clark turned to see a brunette woman standing in the doorway, the same woman that had taken the football from him earlier. She had a fire in her eyes as she glared at Perry.

"Lane, as much as I'd love to see you be the one responsible for putting him out of our hair for good, it's not worth losing you." Then quieter and to himself he said. "Though God knows I haven't dreamed about it before."

"I heard that Chief. Besides, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Lois said as she stomped towards both men.

"I'm sure the woman from the Times said the same, and now no one can find her." Perry said as he rubbed at his forehead. Then remembering that Clark was in the room he gestured towards him. "Clark Kent, Lois Lane. Lois, Clark Kent. Your new partner."

"Damn it Chief, I don't need a partner!" Lois shouted, her eyes going wide.

Clark nodded. "Mr. White, if its ok, I really tend to work better on my own."

Perry chuckled. "You could both learn from the other."

Lois glared. "What could he teach me that I don't know already. What's so special about him?"

Perry grinned. "Lois, Clark Kent may seem like just a mild-mannered reporter, but listen, not only does he know how to treat his editor-in-chief with the proper respect, not only does he have a snappy, punchy prose style, but he is, in my forty years in this business, the fastest typist I've ever seen."

Lois glared at Perry before grabbing Clarks arm and hauling him out of the office. Clark, not ready for the action quickly found himself being pulled back into the bullpen and towards a desk, a rather messy desk.

"Uh, Ms. Lane?" Clark asked.

Lois turned to glare at him. "Its Lois…" She eyed the pin on his hat then smirked. "Smallville. Thought I recognized you."

"Um, what do you mean Lois?" Clark asked.

"Graduation, your friend's with my cousin if I remember correctly, and I usually do." She turned back to her desk and her eyes narrowed. "Who took my maple doughnut!" She shouted. The man from earlier, Lombard was walking by at that moment and had just taken a bite of the said doughnut. Lois growled and lunged at him.

At least his life wasn't going to be boring with Lois in it Clark thought.


End file.
